Success Story #1
Everyone enjoys a true success story. So, for your encouragement, we’d like to share one from our life and ministry.
Derek was in his early 30’s. His wife, Sarah, was in her 20’s with two small children. They were at the end of a rocky road, but in the months leading up to our initial contact with them, God had been working in their hearts during a season of repentance and change.
Our first meeting was almost a decade ago this year. For Donna and me, it had come after eight long hard years of struggle in Appalachia. We’d (especially me-Steve) had wondered many times if moving to the area had been a ‘misread’ of God’s will for us. Yet, something (The Spirit?) would not let me pull the trigger on a move somewhere else. That was before meeting Derek and Sarah.
Ironically (Divinely appointed?), our first associations with them were over hot drinks at A Common Ground Coffee Shop --which our co-workers Vince and Misty had opened in a leap of faith as self-supporting outreach to the community. Derek and Sarah liked the shop, Vince and Misty, and were drawn to our latest effort at a church gathering that was authentic, informal, non-traditional, and yet Biblical.
Reflecting, there were a number of ‘items’ which converged for this perfect storm—none of which I was responsible for planning. The old Church of Christ building had just been purchased my two men I’d literally only known a few hours. They leased it to GoodSoil for $1. Their surprise visit to Jellico and purchase of the building followed two weeks of prayer by the board of directors—for that specific building! Which is it’s own success story given that none of us ever told a soul that we were asking for that building.
With a facility in hand, a procession of volunteer groups began to appear. The first a youth group from Texas, the next week from Illinois, next from Tennessee…and the flow continued until the building was cleaned and furnished for use. Meanwhile, Vince, Misty, Donna, Steve, Claudia, and my Mom decided a Sunday we’d begin meeting. About that same time, from Nashville, a group of Believers (Priest Lake Christian Fellowship) had found us on the map and decided they loved us. When their elders heard we would soon be having our first Sunday gathering, they (All 10 of them and their families!) arranged to come the Saturday before to worship and pray in the building and invite God to bless. Derek and Sarah attended that service. We would all soon see that this perfect storm was God’s doing, and that our eight years of famine were about to become years of plenty.
Sunday morning, early, Sarah called Donna. “Do you know that woman who prayed for me?” We did, but again PLCF was new to us and we did not know everyone really well.
“Yes,” Donna replied. “Why?”
“She prayed for ‘the unborn child she is carrying", but Donna, I’m not pregnant! Do I look pregnant?”
She did not look pregnant and neither Donna nor I knew why the lady had prayed as she had. Later we would ask and learn that she’d done so uncomfortably, but “I just felt like God wanted me to pray that. We counseled Sarah, “Well, IF it is God’s work, then you’ll have a child, but if not, then we are sure she meant no harm.”
A few hours later, Sarah called. “Donna! Derek went to the pharmacy to get a pregnancy test, just to see. Donna, it says I AM PREGNANT!” The next day she went to the local clinic where a second test confirmed a pregnancy. News spread. People came. Our first gathering filled the smallest room. The next week we were double. The third week we doubled again. Enthusiasm was mounting. For three years a Wednesday 6 a.m. Bible study was held at A Common Ground Coffee Shop. Derek invited and influenced most of the men who came. Within a short time, a Celebrate Recovery was begun in our building. Derek was again responsible for much of its success and became the primary leader for it. Derek went on to establish a non-profit charitable Christian organization (Christ In Action) which has done much good in our area. God led him to become the point man in establishing a chaplaincy for the county sheriff’s department. Through Sarah's decision to homeschool, other local ladies and a co-op sprouted. She’s also proven to be a skilled promoter and has been key to the success of most of our church and Celebrate Recovery events. Their marriage is strong, and their children are becoming disciplined and delightful.
In the fullness of time, God had brought Derek and Sarah. Now, a decade later, they are among the strongest in the entire community of faith in Jellico. They’ve had their share of difficulties and challenges on the way. In fact, their house burned a year ago, but I visited their new home yesterday. Derek was installing tile in a shower as I drove up. I asked for a quick tour. They moved in about two weeks ago and are still settling in, but the joy of being in their home was infectious. They had done a truly amazing job on every element of the place, but the thing that struck me most, as their three children played happily around us, were the Scriptures written on almost every room. In fact, their house is a metaphor of their new lives—new, still under construction, full of life, full of God, and a success in every way.
Click to Hear Derek's Testimony on YouTube.
Click to Hear Sarah's Testimony on YouTube.
Below are some of the Scriptures painted on the walls of their home.
Everyone enjoys a true success story. So, for your encouragement, we’d like to share one from our life and ministry.
Derek was in his early 30’s. His wife, Sarah, was in her 20’s with two small children. They were at the end of a rocky road, but in the months leading up to our initial contact with them, God had been working in their hearts during a season of repentance and change.
Our first meeting was almost a decade ago this year. For Donna and me, it had come after eight long hard years of struggle in Appalachia. We’d (especially me-Steve) had wondered many times if moving to the area had been a ‘misread’ of God’s will for us. Yet, something (The Spirit?) would not let me pull the trigger on a move somewhere else. That was before meeting Derek and Sarah.
Ironically (Divinely appointed?), our first associations with them were over hot drinks at A Common Ground Coffee Shop --which our co-workers Vince and Misty had opened in a leap of faith as self-supporting outreach to the community. Derek and Sarah liked the shop, Vince and Misty, and were drawn to our latest effort at a church gathering that was authentic, informal, non-traditional, and yet Biblical.
Reflecting, there were a number of ‘items’ which converged for this perfect storm—none of which I was responsible for planning. The old Church of Christ building had just been purchased my two men I’d literally only known a few hours. They leased it to GoodSoil for $1. Their surprise visit to Jellico and purchase of the building followed two weeks of prayer by the board of directors—for that specific building! Which is it’s own success story given that none of us ever told a soul that we were asking for that building.
With a facility in hand, a procession of volunteer groups began to appear. The first a youth group from Texas, the next week from Illinois, next from Tennessee…and the flow continued until the building was cleaned and furnished for use. Meanwhile, Vince, Misty, Donna, Steve, Claudia, and my Mom decided a Sunday we’d begin meeting. About that same time, from Nashville, a group of Believers (Priest Lake Christian Fellowship) had found us on the map and decided they loved us. When their elders heard we would soon be having our first Sunday gathering, they (All 10 of them and their families!) arranged to come the Saturday before to worship and pray in the building and invite God to bless. Derek and Sarah attended that service. We would all soon see that this perfect storm was God’s doing, and that our eight years of famine were about to become years of plenty.
Sunday morning, early, Sarah called Donna. “Do you know that woman who prayed for me?” We did, but again PLCF was new to us and we did not know everyone really well.
“Yes,” Donna replied. “Why?”
“She prayed for ‘the unborn child she is carrying", but Donna, I’m not pregnant! Do I look pregnant?”
She did not look pregnant and neither Donna nor I knew why the lady had prayed as she had. Later we would ask and learn that she’d done so uncomfortably, but “I just felt like God wanted me to pray that. We counseled Sarah, “Well, IF it is God’s work, then you’ll have a child, but if not, then we are sure she meant no harm.”
A few hours later, Sarah called. “Donna! Derek went to the pharmacy to get a pregnancy test, just to see. Donna, it says I AM PREGNANT!” The next day she went to the local clinic where a second test confirmed a pregnancy. News spread. People came. Our first gathering filled the smallest room. The next week we were double. The third week we doubled again. Enthusiasm was mounting. For three years a Wednesday 6 a.m. Bible study was held at A Common Ground Coffee Shop. Derek invited and influenced most of the men who came. Within a short time, a Celebrate Recovery was begun in our building. Derek was again responsible for much of its success and became the primary leader for it. Derek went on to establish a non-profit charitable Christian organization (Christ In Action) which has done much good in our area. God led him to become the point man in establishing a chaplaincy for the county sheriff’s department. Through Sarah's decision to homeschool, other local ladies and a co-op sprouted. She’s also proven to be a skilled promoter and has been key to the success of most of our church and Celebrate Recovery events. Their marriage is strong, and their children are becoming disciplined and delightful.
In the fullness of time, God had brought Derek and Sarah. Now, a decade later, they are among the strongest in the entire community of faith in Jellico. They’ve had their share of difficulties and challenges on the way. In fact, their house burned a year ago, but I visited their new home yesterday. Derek was installing tile in a shower as I drove up. I asked for a quick tour. They moved in about two weeks ago and are still settling in, but the joy of being in their home was infectious. They had done a truly amazing job on every element of the place, but the thing that struck me most, as their three children played happily around us, were the Scriptures written on almost every room. In fact, their house is a metaphor of their new lives—new, still under construction, full of life, full of God, and a success in every way.
Click to Hear Derek's Testimony on YouTube.
Click to Hear Sarah's Testimony on YouTube.
Below are some of the Scriptures painted on the walls of their home.
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